Faculty and staff from the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine’s Student Learning Center presented two interactive workshops highlighting holistic approaches to medical student learning at the recent Medical Education Learning Specialists (MELS) Conference in San Antonio, Texas.
Assistant Dean for Student Learning Susan Hecker, MD, FACP, and Learning Specialist Heidi Doolittle hosted the workshop “Delivering Bad News: Supporting Students Through Academic Setbacks,” which explored empathic communication and coaching strategies for guiding students through failure and growth.
Dr. Hecker also delivered the workshop “Supporting Clinical Reasoning: Strategies for Learning in the Clinical Space,” which connected learning science to diagnostic reasoning and lifelong learning.
Both sessions emphasized compassion, reflection, and practical tools for helping students thrive across all phases of their medical education.